Dragon Heart

Chapter 6

"What is it with this guy and fainting?" Princess Olympia asked to the air.

She still clutched the nasty troll knife. She should plunge it into his eye and be done with him.

Olympia...

Olympia took the glowing crystal from her pocket. Protect my heart. Take it to the middle nation. The crystal whispered.

Olympia kissed the crystal. "I'll do as you ask, my love." She said putting the crystal back into her pocket and leaving the prince laying on the ground surrounded by the dead trolls. Her revenge would wait for another day but not long.

Getting to the Middle Nation, is much easier on the back of a dragon. She murmured as she picked her way through trees and brush. She remembered the many times she went to the middle kingdom with the dragon. She held on to scales near his neck as the wind washed over her, kissing her face and whipping her hair. It was exhilarating.

Because of Prince Putrid she would never get to take that ride again. She had half a mind to turn around and kill that man where he lay. But she had to get the heart to someplace safe.

"Why don't you just take the maiden's home, after the year is up?" Olympia had once asked the dragon.

"It's not safe for them." He explained to her. "Witches."

"Witches? Like the one who cursed you? Surely she must be dead by now."

"I'm sure she is. But there are other witches." The dragon explained as Olympia cuddled with his arm tracing the purple triangles over his heart.

"So why would they want us?"

"Your hair, your heart, your breath. Everything about you is valuable to a witch." He explained moving his head to Olympia's lap. She stroked his head in the spot that he liked and the dragon closed his eyes in pleasure.

"Do you think it's wise to keep all the maidens together in the middle kingdom. Aren't they easy pickings?" She asked.

"The middle nation was established about four hundred or so years ago as a refuge for the maidens. A sorceress from my kingdom was concerned about witches using the maidens for their own devious spells. The sorceress made the nation impenetrable to witches and anyone else who means the maiden's harm. So, princess you don't have to worry about your safety after you leave me."

Princess Olympia bit her bottom lip looking the dragon into his Jade green eyes. "I don't ever intend on leaving you, Andrew, I intend to break this curse."

She failed. She couldn't break the curse but she would not fail at protecting Prince Andrew's heart. After a day of traveling, Olympia finally made it to the Middle nation.

She stumbled across the border and quickly made her way to Rosalie's cottage. She knew exactly where she was going once she reached the town.

"Oh my god! What are you doing here!" Rosalie gushed when she opened the door for her friend.

"What's the matter?" Rosalie's tone changed as she noticed Olympia's dirty streaked face. She brought Olympia into the cottage.  She had been having tea with a couple other maidens from the village.

Olympia explained what happened: A stupid prince slayed their dragon.

"No." Rosalie said covering her mouth. "Not Prince Andrew!"

Olympia brought the heart out of her pocket to show the girls the proof of his death.

Mandy, was the maiden taken before Rosalie. She stepped towards Olympia and gazed into the crystal. Unlike the other girls in the room, Mandy had no tears in her eyes. She raised her hand and crashed it down hard back-handing Princess Olympia across the face.  

"It's your fault!"  Mandy hissed.  "You should have protected him!"